The idea
In 1982, on the 21st of June – the day of the summer solstice – with the initiative of Jack Lang, the French Minister of Culture at that time, Celebrate Music or Make Music Day (from French translation Fête de la Musique or Faites de la Musique) was celebrated for the first time with the aim of “bringing out onto the streets all musicians”. Next year Music Day brought together 200.000 amateur and professional artists of every kind flooding public spaces, squares, streets, parks, concerts halls and all kinds of locations, presenting numerous gigs with the support of local authorities.
Events ranged from classical to jazz, hip‐hop, rock, dance to traditional music always free for the public and thanks to the generous supporters and sponsors of Music Day. On this day everything is working in favor of Music. Amongst other, the state and municipal authorities are committed to allow sound “disturbance”, public transport organizations creates special routes with a single day ticket connecting main event locations while the post office publishes a special celebratory stamp.
The birth of European Vision
Music Day soon became an exportable concept and in 1985 it traveled beyond France with the same aim and parameters, in Athens, on the occasion of the first edition of the Cultural Capital of Europe.
Few years after, appointed by the French Ministry of Culture and having a European vision, Jean‐francois Millier initiated the connection of organisers accross Europe – Institutional, private, NPOs and NGOs – into a single network of collaborators and created the premises of the European Music Day Network.
10 years after Athens first Music Day events, partners from Belgium, Czech republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Spain, signed a common charter of principles of the “European Music Day” (Budapest in 1995) settling the foundations of the International Non for Profit European Music Day Association.
The European Music Day Association Network
The Aims among the members of the network of the European Music Day Association (EMDA) are to support, produce and promote artists (new/emerging/rising) of all music genres and to exchange (import/export) artists between countries and/or cities.
Combining entrance free events and productions located in public spaces, the European Music Day Association support events that can give musicians the unique chance to perform and promote their work while it also educates the audience.
The production and organization process is based on Institutional partnership and support but it is also strongly related to the professional environment combining innovative educational approaches and purposes with marketing and business returns.
EMDA network decisively generates actions, funds, co-productions and media interest to connect key music industries factors in order to support, produce and develop projects dedicated to Artists Creativity, Bands, Producers, Promoters or even Club owners.
Direct goals are to develop effectively Vocational Educational Training and entrepreneurial opportunities in the European music sector, to implement artistic and cultural exchange programs (related to the possible 360 processes), to support local markets through international projects, to merge institutional programs with private sector assets and last but not least, to promote and communicate all above mentioned actions.
